The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1887-12-02
TnR COST OF poor ROADS.

A number Of Experiments made by proi
j. w. Sanborn, OF the Missouri Agrlcul,
tural College, show that on moist dirt
road force equal to 4s7 pounds was nee.
essary TO move a load Of 3,66s pounds, OF
81 per cent more than was needed 10 move
the same load on gravel road having q
grade Of one foot Ia twenty-eight On .
level gravel road. the force needed was
only one.fourth as much as on the dirt,
and ona plank iloor but one.seventh as
mich power was required A. was needed
Ia moving the load over the dirt road.
This made no allowance for energy vast.
ed by the horse Ia pulling his feet from
the mud and IN lifting them over the ilt.
tie elevations always before them on a
muddy road. These facts suggest few
calculations that may not be entirely
without interest to those wing have 10 haul
loads la town or Ia country.
Snrposlng thatthe highways on each
alternate section line be well made Of
gravel or other equally good material NJ
cost Of, say, Ssoso per mile, and that this
cost be equally divided between the sec.
ticns adjoining the improved highways,
the annual interest 20 be paid BY each
section OF land at six per cent viii be Sis4,
OF 1876 cents per year Can farmers ai.
ford to pay this tax for the sake of having
well-graded, hard, smooth roads every
day In the rear from their doors TO the
market town How many loads must
each haul to save enoughin the time aud
wear OF men, horses, harness, and wagons
to equal the interest, assuming that fair
days work should average fifteen miles of
hauling, and be worth So per load OF what.
ever weight, could be safely hauled over
dirt roads. According TO the conclusions
reached through the experiments men.
toned, tsrty-two loads on the dirt road
twenty-seven loads on we'll grayeiled
road having an incline of one foot IN
twenty eight, aud ten and half loads on
a level, well.graveIied road would equal
the interest, on the above basis oi So per
day. II wagons strong enough 10 bear
the burden were used,the number OF loads
on smooth and level maeadam might be
reduced TO six. The pay would practical.
ly be, for hauling loads ov.r the several
kinds Of roads, equal to So on dirt, s4.67
on inclined gravelled, and sia on lcveied
gravelled roads respectively. per load,
while on level, smooth macadam il would
be equal to Sal per load.
These figures are all based upon com.
paFison between the forces necessary to
move specific weight over dirt road
only slightly moist and these required for
moving the same weight over the other
descriptions Of roads. The advantages OF
the improved over the dirt road. would
not fully appear until wet weather OF
spring or a mild winter should come to
make channels Of deep mud Of the high.
ways through districts where the soIl Is
rich like that Of the fertile bottom lands
Of the unetuous prairies Of the West At
such times. work with teams becomes ex.
tremely difficult, II not quite ImpossIbIe,so
far as the roads are concerned and In
the fields no hauling should be done for
reasons that will appear 10 any good farm.
er. In sueh seasons, horses and men lie
idle, thus wasting time and food that, with
better highways, might be made 10 bring
profit 10 the farmer. With hard and level
roads, good use could be made Of those
days when work with teams could not be
done ln fields without cutting up their
surface and ovcr.workIng their horses.